1 / 24

Sentence Variety

Sentence Variety. People normally talk and write using one boring sentence pattern : subject/verb, subject/verb, subject/verb…. Example.

baker-lynch
Download Presentation

Sentence Variety

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Sentence Variety

  2. People normally talk and write using one boring sentence pattern:subject/verb,subject/verb,subject/verb…

  3. Example • El Cielois the most beautiful vacation spot in the world. Itis located on the coast of Mexico. Peoplearrive from many different countries to relax in luxurious surroundings. El Cielohas a great spa facility and an outstanding hotel. Itis fabulous!

  4. Problem • I can’t think of ways to revise my boringsubject/verb sentences into more interesting ones.

  5. Solution • Learn just a fewnew, sophisticated sentence structures. After you finish a paragraph (or your entire paper), revise some of your sentences.

  6. Question • How many of my sentences should I revise? All of them? A few of them? One in each paragraph? What?

  7. Answer • Revise about 1/2 of your sentences. (That’s about 3-4 per paragraph.) Then reread your paper. Revise some more if you think it would improve your paper. Reread your paper out loud. Revise even more.

  8. What are some of the best kinds of sentences to use? • Start with an –ing or –ed word.(Introductory Participial Phrase)Since –ing and –ed are verb endings, this sentence pattern starts with action!

  9. Using an introductory participial phrase does two things: 1. It “actions up” the start of the sentence.2. It helps you to combine two short sentences into one longer one.

  10. Mollystared at the test question. She began to cry silently. Staring at the test question,Molly began to cry silently.

  11. Serinawas shocked at what her teacher said. She shook her head in disbelief. Shocked at what her teacher said,Serina shook her head in disbelief.

  12. Use an appositive phrase.(Renames something)This sentence pattern helps you to combine two short sentences into one longer one.

  13. Martieis President of the Senior Class. She works for a local attorney.Martie, the Senior Class President, works for a local attorney.

  14. Start with an infinitive phrase(“to” plus a verb)Since an infinitive is a verb form, this sentence start is energetic and full of action.

  15. Melekwould love to go skydiving again.To go skydiving again would be Melek’s greatest dream.

  16. Start with an introductory adverb clause(Adverb clause begins with a subordinating conjunction: when, while, until, since, because, if, after, before, although, even though, as long as, as soon as, as though, whenever . . .)

  17. Ifinished my homework. Then Icalled Kyle.When I finished my homework, I called Kyle.Until I finished my homework, I could not call Kyle.

  18. As soon as I finished my homework,…After I finished my homework,…Since I had not finished my homework,…Because I had not finished my homework,…

  19. Compound sentence(Two short sentences connected by a comma and a conjunction: and, but, or, nor, for, yet)Compound sentences turn short, choppy sentences into longer, more interesting ones.

  20. Wewent to Six Flags last week. Itwas exciting.We went to Six Flags last week, and it was exciting.We went to Six Flags last week, but it was boring.

  21. Try a compound sentence with a semicolon instead of a comma/conjunctionJust make sure you put an independent clause on each side of the semicolon.

  22. Wewent to London this summer for our vacation. Itwas educational, but it was also fun.We went to London this summer for our vacation; it was educational, but it was also fun.

  23. Start with an introductory series of prepositional phrases(from, to, with, without, of, for, about, over, under, by, in, out, up . . .)

  24. Ican see the lake from the tree on the hill.From the tree on the hill, I can see the lake.

More Related